Order of Clawed Hand

The Order of the Clawed Hand is a religious order founded several hundred years ago. During its heyday it enacted and oversaw countless purges of northern kingdoms for heresy and witchcraft. It is because of these purges that northern elves are so rare.

Structure

The Order of the Clawed Hand organized by rank descending from the Master of the Claw to the lowliest of Initiates.

Master of the Claw

The Master of the Claw is the grandmaster of the Order of the Clawed Hand. Since the Order's founding the Master of the Claw has been chosen from the ranks of the inner circle. Once chosen, the Master of the Claw has absolute power within the Order until their death.

Knights of the Inner Circle

Also known as Wolfhearts, the most veteran and respected of the Order's knights are elevated to the Inner Circle when they are nominated by a member of the Inner Circle and found worthy by the rest. These elite templars are responsible for the day-to-day fulfillment of the Master of the Claw's commands and it is they who oversee many of the lesser important tasks of running the Order. In times of warfare, they ride out alongside the Master of the Claw as an elite unit.

Knights

Also known as Fangs, these men and women are the rank and file of the Order of the Clawed Hand. These knights are those who have been trained and accepted from initiates to server in the Order proper.

Initiates

The novitiate members of the order that have yet to be elevated to the rank of knight.

Public Agenda

The Order of the Clawed Hand seeks to cleanse the world of heretical religions and magics that lead to the arrival of the elves and the devastation of the world-that-was.

History

Founding

Founded from the ruins of war between the Kingdom of Barvost and the elves Elthira, the Order of the Clawed Hand used anti-elf sentiment amongst the people to bolster their numbers. By the end of the decade, the Order numbered in the hundreds with political power enough to force kings to bow to their wishes.

Age of the Claw

What followed was a period of persecutions and fear for many elves in the north as the Order drove them into hiding and turned the other people of the world against them. At first the people supported the Order's cause, seeing the elves as the cause of the world's problems, but as the elves began to retreat the order turned it's gaze to the other species. Accusing human, dwarf, and halfling alike of witchcraft and demon worship. Assigning them equal blame to the accursed elves.
This came to a head at the Massacre of Velgest, in which the Order's forces slaughtered an entire town for harboring a child accused of witchcraft. As more and more people began to fear the Order's wrath dissent against their harsh doctrine began to rise and lead to nobles withdrawing their support of the order. Eventually culminating in the severely weakened order being besieged by peasants. The Inner Circle taken from the keep and burnt at the stake.

Continued Survival

A shadow of itself, the Order still maintains a small seat of power in the North from the ruins of it's old fortress, lead by Master of the Claw Valeria Blackhide. Villagers nearby will occasionally go missing, a claim of witchcraft or heresy muttered by locals. Though most are eager to let the Order die unnotticed for fear that renewed fear of magic and heresy might bring the dread order back to it's former might.

Through Faith, Ferocity. Through Ferocity, Righteousness.

Type

Religious, Holy Order

Alternative Names

The Clawed Hand, The Wolf-Knights, Rippers